


Precious Moments

by Kamesan



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, New Family, Sexy Times, Sweet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2019-09-27 19:51:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17168285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamesan/pseuds/Kamesan
Summary: Raising a family can be overwhelming, but good partners support each other through difficult times.Little bits and pieces glimpsing into the ups and downs of Lance and Keith's life as they raise their family.





	1. Teamwork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raising a family can be overwhelming, but good partners support each other through difficult times.

Keith was dragged from a deep sleep by the shifting of the little form beside him. Luca mumbled irritably, his tiny limbs pushing against his pillow nest, demanding his 2am meal. Keith inhaled sharply, trying to wake himself up into some semblance of functionality, but his body refused to cooperate. He couldn't even pry open his aching eyes. Luca groaned louder and Keith knew if he didn't move fast there would be a screaming fit. He slid a hand over to Luca, rubbing his squishy little belly, trying to buy some time. Luca calmed down a bit at the touch, still gurgling unhappily. Keith tried to muster the strength to get up, he had to, but he just couldn't find the energy. 

Luca let out a small wail and the sound stabbed at Keith. He pulled the crying baby closer to him, trying to sooth him, but it didn't have any effect. He felt the bed rock as his partner rolled over, roused by the crying, and guilt washed over him. With one last push of willpower he struggled up, eyes still shut tight in protest.

A hand fumbled through the dark and rested on his shoulder, pushing him back into the blankets. Keith melted into the touch, letting himself sink into the bed. 

"I got this, buddy." croaked Lance, voice hoarse with exhaustion. He sounded just as dead tired as Keith felt. Lance's hand traced its way down Keith's arm and slipped under Luca's tiny body, lifting the screaming infant into his arms. Keith lay still, listening to Lance carry Luca down the hall to the kitchen, feelings of guilt and relief battling inside him. Lance had an early shift in the morning and Keith shouldn't have made him care for Luca at this hour, but his fatigued body was practically groaning with pleasure at not having to get out of bed. Keith knew he should take advantage of his partner's sacrifice and get some sleep, but the part of his brain that came alert at the slightest peep from Luca was still active, focused on the baby's howls in the kitchen as Lance warmed a bottle. 

After a few minutes of clattering dishes the crying quieted, and a serene silence fell. Now that it was gone Keith realized how distraught Luca's wails had made him, the sound physically painful to him. He felt himself relaxing, muscles unwinding, sleep wisping just at the edge of his reach. 

Lance shuffled into the room and crawled back onto the bed, clicking the bedside lamp on as he went. Keith wrenched his stinging eyes open and squinted at his husband. He was sitting cross legged in the tangle of blankets with Luca nestled in the crook of his arm, who was slurping contentedly on his bottle. The dim lamp light silhouetted him in a warm glow, and his face was turned to Luca, a look of immeasurable love covering it. Lance loved his son, one look at his face and anyone could tell that much, but in this moment at 2:32am he had an expression that was so overwhelmingly gorgeous it made Keith forget how to breathe, which was kind of funny because Lance actually looked horrible right now. His hair was matted, he had huge bags under his eyes, and his formerly smooth skin was rough and blotchy from weeks of not enough sleep. 

Keith watched his two loved ones, feeling unbelievably fortunate to see them like this; safe, happy, and close enough for him to take them into his arms if he wanted. A tiny sigh escaped his lip, drawing Lance's attention. 

"Hey." whispered Lance, a tired smile tugging at his lips. Keith could feel his own lips mirroring it.

"Hey." he replied, reaching a hand out to his lover. Lance shifted Luca, who'd lost interest in the bottle, into a burping position and bounced him gently, taking Keith's outstretched hand into his free one. They twisted their fingers together, just feeling the connection with each other with no other meaning. 

Luca let out a couple of little burps and Lance laid him back down into his nest. Keith pulled himself closer and nuzzled his face against his child, taking in the wonderful baby smell of warm milk and a hint of Lance's shampoo. Lance leaned over them, face brimming with emotion. Keith looked up at him, getting lost in the depths of his infinite blue eyes. 

Then they were kissing. Once, before Luca, it might have been a hungry, desperate, rash connection, but now it was like Lance's love or the look in his eyes; deep, pure, and gentle. It was love without expectation or meaning, just existing between them, within them, as they melted into each other, no longer two people. 

Keith savored the taste as Lance tenderly pressed into his mouth, wanting to stay in this moment forever. But there was a niggling warning in the back of his mind and he followed it with regret, pulling away from Lance's embrace. 

"You need to get some sleep." whispered Keith, lips still close enough to tickle Lance's skin. Lance made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat, leaning in to chase Keith's retreat. They breathlessly shared another long moment lost in each other before Lance leaned back, longing still in his eyes. Keith reached a hand up to cup his face, pulling him down into the blankets to rest beside Luca. They gazed at each other over the sleeping form of their son, eyes drooping, fluttering, then closing as they both slipped into a contented slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was thinking about what if Lance and Keith had children and this short fic happened. This is complete fluff with no meaning at all.
> 
> I know nothing about children but as a baby my parents always slept in the same bed with me from the day I was born and I survived, so don't freak out about little Luca getting squashed.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this story. Let me know what you think!


	2. Like Father, Like Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes having a kid with the same personality as you can be tough, but patience yields focus, right?

"ADAM, GET YOUR ASS IN HERE!" shouted Keith, taking in the state of the kitchen. The dishwasher was half loaded and the counters were covered in dirty dishes, pots and pans, and TWO empty cookie boxes. He was not happy.

"ADAM?" he shouted again when the boy didn't appear. Keith heaved a sigh, running a hand through his hair, debating whether he should go hunt Adam down.

"What?"   


Adam wandered down the hall towards Keith, hands shoved into his pockets, defiant look on his face. Keith cocked one eyebrow at his son, signaling for an explanation.

"What happened in here?" he asked, trying to keep his voice even. Adam's eyes were focused on everything else except Keith's face, looking part shamed, part disgruntled.

"It looks like Luca made a mess while baking." said Adam, voice bordering on belligerent. Keith closed his eyes, searching for strength.

"Yes, Luca made a mess. Why isn't it cleaned up, _like I asked you to_?" hissed Keith, feeling his anger boiling over. This kid was pushing his buttons and they both knew it. Also, two boxes of cookies eaten? TWO? Really, Adam?

Adam shifted on his feet, making no effort to enter the kitchen, and glared up at Keith, daring him to do something. Keith hands itched to grab his son and shake the living daylights out of him, but that would be bad, very bad. He'd gotten physical with Adam before, and while Adam had probably deserved it that time the feeling afterward had been so horrible that Keith swore he would never do it again, no matter how much of a brat Adam became.

Keith took a breath, getting his emotions under control and leveled his gaze at Adam, bringing out the big guns.

"You get in there and do the dishes or I'm telling your father when he gets home." As soon as the words left his mouth Keith could tell how lame they sounded. It seemed he was always hiding behind Lance when he couldn't get their son to behave. But it did the trick. Adam sighed dramatically and shoved past Keith as he stalked into the kitchen.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever, _Keith_." he sneered, slamming the pots into the sink and jerking the tap on. Since there were two dads in the house it was sometimes easier to just use Lance's and Keith's real names, but Lance wasn't even here right now, so there was no need. The way Adam spat his name cut into Keith, his bitter tone clearly saying "you're not my father". Keith bit his lip to keep from crying out in hurt and frustration. He watched his son's hunched shoulders as he banged the dishes around.

"What is your problem?" he asked, voice breaking in exasperation. Adam's shoulders hunched even more.

"I don't know, Keith, maybe it's because YOU'RE ALWAYS FAVORING LUCA!" he shouted, hands clenching the rim of sink, his entire body shaking with such rage that Keith took a step back, blinking in surprise.           


"I am not favoring Luca." he said, trying not to let the defensive tone he felt slip into his words.

"YOU TOTALLY FUCKING ARE!" screamed Adam, whirling around to face Keith, "WHY AM I DOING HIS FUCKING DISHES?!"

"Language." snapped Keith, trying to formulate a reasonable comeback without completely losing his temper, "You know Luca has his bake sale for-"    


"FUCK YOU!" screamed Adam, grabbing a glass and throwing it into the sink.

The room fell deathly silent at the sound of the glass shattering among the dirty pots. Adam's eyes went round with fear as he raised them to look at Keith in horror. Keith's mind went blank, completely whiting out in a burst of fury. The instant nothingness terrified him, and he dragged himself out of it through sheer force of will, returning to the scene before him. Nothing had moved. Adam was shaking by the counter, the remnants of the glass clinking as they slipped to the bottom of the sink. Keith took a step forward, feeling like he was walking through water.

"Dad..." whimpered Adam, cowering against the counter, fear contorting his face.

"Move." said Keith, his voice impassive and sounding far away.

"Dad, I'm sorry! I'm so sorr-"

"You'll cut yourself. Move." said Keith, resting a hand on Adam's shoulder, his son's flinch stabbing him with remorse. Adam shuffled back and Keith started pulling the shards of broken glass out of the sink.

The kitchen was quiet except for the sound of tinkling glass being gathered in a dish. Adam watched his father silently, chin quivering as he held back tears. Words swirled around inside Keith's head and he tried to organize them into a coherent thought. He needed to apologize to Adam before anything else. Keith took a deep breath, the sound making Adam flinch again, and let it out slowly.

"Adam, I'm sorry." he whispered, voice straining with sincerity, his heart unable to bear looking at Adam's scared face.

A sob erupted from Adam, followed quickly by another, and another, as the boy collapsed in on himself, his body jerking with every gasp. Keith dumped the rest of the glass in the dish and pulled his son into an embrace. Adam resisted it for a moment before giving in and melting into Keith's arms, crying in earnest now. Keith leaned back against the counter, tucking Adam into his chest, holding him tightly as tears soaked into his shirt.

They stood there for a long time, just crying and comforting until there was nothing left. After a while Adam pushed away, but only far enough to wipe at his sodden face in a futile effort to clean it. Keith leaned over and placed a kiss into Adam's hair, the color and texture exactly the same as his own. Adam let out a shuddering sigh and snuggled into Keith's arms again.

"I'm sorry." he rasped, snorting back snot. Keith rocked him back and forth, letting out a soothing hum, face still buried in his son's hair. Adam sighed again and continued talking.

"It just feels like you're _always_ paying attention to Luca more. It's not even about the chores. It's just...it's like you care about him more. Like I'm an afterthought or something." Adam choked, more tears streaming down his face. Keith was silent, taking in Adam's words, knowing with a sinking feeling that part of it was true. The part where he was more focused on Luca, that he often left Adam to himself. They were so alike that sometimes it was too much to be around him, when their tempers flared and their reactions built on the others. Keith let out a sigh, trying to find the right words for his son.

"I guess I feel like I have to prove myself to Luca as a father. He's so much like Lance that I'm just drawn to him." Adam stiffened in his arms and Keith rushed to continue, "But you... You're so like me that sometimes I forget that you need me just as much. I've got this dumb idea that you'll love me no matter what just because we have the same blood. I know it doesn't work like. I'm sorry, Adam, I'm so sorry. Please, let me try to be better, ok?"

Keith's heart pounded with anxiety as Adam stayed silent, unmoving in his arms.    


"I love you, dad." whispered Adam eventually, pressing himself even closer to Keith, and feeling tears fall into his dark, unruly hair.

 

It took them forever to finally step apart, trying to mop at their wet, snotty faces, laughing and laugh-crying as they took in each other's appearance.

Keith finished cleaning out the sink of broken glass and turned to Adam.

"Ok, seriously though, this kitchen." he said and Adam groaned.

"C'mon, I'll help you out." said Keith, rubbing Adam's shoulder encouragingly, "Let's get this neatened up before Lance and Luca get back."

"Don't you actually have work you need to do?" asked Adam, finally remembering why Keith had stayed home in the first place. Keith had a second of panic. Yes, he did have work. There was a document open on his laptop right now, waiting to be finished. And it was quite time sensitive.

"What's a few more minutes going to hurt?" he laughed, knowing he'd regret it later when he got chewed out for being tardy with handing in submissions. Oh well, what was the point of working for your family if you never bothered to spend any time with them?

           

When Lance and Luca got home they found Keith and Adam crashed together on the couch, the remains of popcorn and take-out pizza littering the coffee table in front of them and an episode of The Walking Dead playing on the TV. Leave it to these two to fall asleep to zombies and screaming.

Without making a sound Lance and Luca switched the TV to something more tolerable and snuggled in next to their sleeping loved ones.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another Precious Moments story. No Klance in this one, just an angsty Keith jr. 
> 
> These are so fun to do! I already have a ton of other ideas for more. 
> 
> Yes, Adam is named after Adam, Shiro's partner. He's around 12/13 in this story.


	3. Fresh Laundry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quiet afternoon isn't actually that quiet, and that's ok.

"LET ME PLAY YOU THE SONG OF MY PEOPLE!" screamed Luca, jumping onto the back of the couch and waving his iphone in the air.

"Luca, that'd better not be-" 

The opening riff of Gasolina blared through the speakers, cutting Adam off. 

"SON OF A BITC-" 

"LANGUAGE!" shouted Keith from down the hall. He and Lance were snuggled together on their bed, laptop nestled between them. The door was open, as per requested by their sons, to prevent any mid-afternoon "hanky-panky" from going on. It was hard to even attempt cultivating a romantic atmosphere with Adam screaming at his brother and Daddy Yankee booming away in their living room. Luca was now rapping to the first chorus, and absolutely killing it.

"Guys, make him stop!" cried Adam. A crash echoed down the hall, big enough that they should be worried, but since neither boy stopped singing or screaming it was probably fine. 

"I thought you guys were supposed to be folding laundry?" called Keith in a nagging tone. Another crash rang out and was followed by thumping, "That had better not be the couch!"

"Mamita yo sé que tú no te me va a quitar!" shouted Luca, "Duro!" 

"LUCA, I SWEAR TO GOD-"

"Lo que me gusta es que tú te dejas llevar! DURO!" 

LUCA, YOU FUCKING-"

"Cierra tu puta boca!" shouted Lance, "Don't make me come in there!"

Keith stared at his husband. "Did you just tell our children to shut the fuck up in Spanish?" 

"A ELLA LE GUSTA LA GASOLINA!" belted Luca, and both he and Lance sang the next part, "Dame más gasolina!" 

"Lance!"

"DAD!" 

"Luca, turn it off. Now." laughed Lance, shying away from a jab from his husband's elbow. 

The living room fell silent, only to come alive again with Katy Perry's "Unconditionally".

"Oh, come on, Luca!" cried Adam as Luca began another karaoke session, but he let his brother continue this time, knowing this was the best they would get. Lance and Keith listened as their son sang over Katy Perry, word for word, hitting the high notes and sticking them. Keith turned to Lance, who mouthed "Holy Shit", and they both wore a look of shocked awe.

"Maybe we should have put him in choir class instead of soccer." mused Keith, hearing Adam hesitantly join in, most likely egged on by Luca. Lance wrapped an arm around Keith's shoulder and pulled him close. They rested their heads against each other and listened to Luca and Adam singing together, knowing that they were probably dancing with each other like how they always did when they were younger. Lance hummed along into Keith's hair, threading a hand through the dark locks gently. 

"Lance?" sighed Keith, making his lover focus on him.

"Thank you." 

Lance pressed his face into Keith's neck lovingly. 

"You're welcome."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DICLAIMER: I do not know any Spanish. Blame Google! 
> 
> Super short and yes, references to a certain awesome Voltron fanfic.


	4. Gifts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gift of love is truly the greatest of all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gets a bit spicy towards the end. You have been warned.

Lance gazed at Luca, watching his tiny curly head bobble back and forth.

"Lance, stop twisting about, it's distracting." said Keith, eyes glued to the snowy road.

"He's asleep." whispered Lance, "Keith! His little head is flopping about, go slower!"

"I'm going under fifty, calm down." retorted Keith, gritting his teeth as his patience wore thin. They'd been driving for hours in poor winter conditions, which required Keith's full attention, and Lance had managed to fill that time with one annoying antic after another. This was his latest one.

"Well, excuse me for worrying about our son getting brain damage!" huffed Lance, shooting a glare at Keith, who rolled his eyes in response.

"He made it through nine months with Pidge, he'll be fine."

"God, he's cute." sighed Lance, changing the subject.

"Look, I can pull over and you can ride in the backseat with him. Just stop turning around to look at him. You'll end up straining something and then you'll whine to me about it." snapped Keith, slowing the car to show he was serious.

"Nope, I gotta stay up here and take care of our pilot." said Lance, reaching over and patting Keith's leg affectionately. Keith raised an eyebrow at him, eyes still focused on the road.

"Very chivalrous of you, but we're almost there. Look, there's the turnoff."

"Easy now!" cried Lance, spinning around to watch Luca's little form slump over as Keith made the turn.

"Lance, I WILL dump you on the side of the road if you don't cut it out!"

"You wouldn't! Not your co-pilot!"

 

"Keith! Luca! It's so good to see you again!" cried Colleen, pulling them into a firm embrace. Keith shifted Luca about on his hip and awkwardly returned her hug with his free arm, while Luca laughed and snuggled into her, loving the attention.

"Thanks for having us." replied Keith, giving her an affectionate squeeze before he had to snatch Luca's hand away as he reached for one of Colleen's earrings, stepping back to keep his grabby child from getting his fingers on anything else. Luca scowled as his new target retreated, his face taking on a Lance-like pout, complete with petulant blue eyes. Colleen laughed and poked his puffy cheek, making his smile return again, his eyes grinning coyly, another expression reminiscent of his father.

"He's starting to look just like Lance." cooed Colleen before glancing past Keith at the empty car behind him, frowning.

"Did Lance not come with you?" she asked worriedly. Keith let out a chuckle.

"He was being obnoxious on the way over so I had him cool his head." he said, peering down the road. Sure enough, a figure was sprinted down the street towards them. Colleen followed Keith's eyes, looking confused, then amused as Lance loped up to them, gasping for breath.

"I can't... believe... you left me there!" he wheezed, keeling over to rest his hands on his knees. Colleen had a hand over her mouth, trying not laugh outright. Keith could feel a malevolent smile spreading over his face.

"It was only two blocks. Don't be a wuss." smirked Keith, shrugging off the glare his husband shot at him. Lance took in another deep breath and straightened, heading for Colleen with a grin on his face.

"Welcome back, Lance." she said, giving him a hug that rivaled the ones from his own mother. He wrapped his arms around her and smiled into her warm shoulder.

"Thank you, Colleen." he said, "We really appreciate you having us over."

Colleen stepped back, taking in the young family before her.

"No, thank you for coming. Sam and I are desperately in need of a baby fix." she laughed, just as the sound of footsteps pounded towards them.

"LANCE!" shouted Matt, bursting out of the house and leaping for him. Lance caught him, laughing and giving him a rough hug. Matt stayed for only a second before he locked on to Keith.

"Keith, buddy! LUCA!" he cried, enveloping them both in a bear-like hug. Luca shirked in delight and Keith had a look of slight distress on his face as he was lifted off the ground.

"Oh man, you guys! It's so good to see you! Come on, get inside, it's freezing out here." Matt ushered them into the house, practically vibrating with energy. Sam met them in the hall and everyone had another round of hugs and exchanging thank yous. Luca's eyes were round as he took in the excitement around him. Matt disappeared into the living room, quickly returning towing a hesitant Pidge.

"Hey." she said, sounding just as cautious as she looked. Keith and Lance gazed at her, their faces beaming at the sight of their friend.

"Luca! It's Auntie Pidge!" gasped Lance, drawing the toddler's attention to her. Luca stared at her for a second, and then giggled as he flashed her one of his adorable smiles. Pidge fidgeted under it, looking a little hunted.

"Can you say 'Hi, Auntie Pidge?'" asked Keith, trying to prompt Luca to speak. Luca grinned even wider, chest filling with air.

"PIG!" he screeched, shattering the eardrums of all the adults present and completely messing up the pronunciation of Pidge's name. Matt doubled over with laughter and instantly started choking, choosing to continue to laugh rather than breathe. Keith and Lance exchanged a horrified look, while Sam and Colleen bit back smiles, faces trying to seem sympathetic. Pidge raised one cynical eyebrow at the toddler, face almost amused.

"And this is why I'm never having children." she stated, a note of humor in her voice.

 

After supper everyone gathered in the living room. A Christmas tree glittered in the corner, with a few brightly wrapped presents poking out from underneath its boughs despite a collective agreement that there would be no gifts exchanged this year, due to Lance and Keith's financial situation as they struggled to buy their own house.

"If the other party doesn't raise the bid then we could be moving in by early February." explained Lance, trying not to sound too hopeful, as there was a good chance they wouldn't get the house. Sam and Colleen gave him a sympathetic look, knowing how much this move meant to Lance and Keith. It would give them a chance to settle closer to both the Holt's home and Lance's work, cutting down on the travel time significantly.

"I really hope this works out for you boys." said Sam, chuckling, "Mostly because Colleen and I want to see our grandson more often!" He turned to gaze at Luca, who was sitting on the floor with Matt, fixated on pulling his own socks off, ignoring Matt's attempts to divert his attention to the presents under the tree, most of which had his name on them. Pidge sat curled up in an armchair, watching Luca apprehensively, an expression that had stuck with her throughout the evening.

A knock on the front door made everyone halt in surprise.

"Matt, can you get that?" asked Colleen.

"Right-o!" he yipped, hoisting Luca into the air, the toddler squealing with glee at the sudden takeoff, and depositing him into Pidge's startled arms. Once Luca was settled Matt skipped out of the room, shouting a sing-song "Coming!" as he went.

Pidge and Luca stared at each other. Luca's face became unusually solemn, his round blue eyes locked with Pidge's honey colored ones. Her brow creased as she studied the chubby face before her, seeming unsure of how proceed. A shy smile tugged at the corners of Luca mouth as he started to fidget under her gaze, blue eyes sparkling. Pidge frowned even more, then, as if struck by inspiration, she stuck her tongue out at him, making a silly face complete with sound effects. Luca's expression lit up with joy and he laughed as Pidge's face broke into a wide smile, finally beginning to open up to the toddler. Lance and Keith leaned into each other, watching with pride as Pidge snuggled Luca, both of them giggling.

The sound of muffled voices from down the hall made Colleen turn. She glanced back at the group, catching Lance's eye. He slipped his arm away from where it had been resting on Keith's shoulder and went to investigate. Two figures stood by the door, heads bowed together, talking softly. Lance blinked, taking in the tall newcomer with disbelief.

"Shiro?" he whispered, doubting his eyes. The two men stepped apart, surprised by his voice. Shiro looked up at Lance, a smile blooming over his face.

"Shiro!" cried Lance, rushing over and giving him a big hug. Shiro laughed, hugging him back. Lance's voice brought everyone out of the living room and they exclaimed in joyful shock when they saw Shiro. Matt stood back and watched with a blissful grin.

"I thought you said you couldn't make it this year." said Sam as Shiro enveloped Keith into a crushing embrace.

"Somehow things worked out and they let me get away for a few days." replied Shiro, moving on to Pidge and Luca, "I wanted to give you all a surprise so I came straight over."

"Well, you definitely did that!" laughed Colleen, "Welcome home, Shiro."

After that the evening became even livelier. Luca was presented with gifts from everyone, who seemed more excited about the whole than he did. Lance and Keith also received gifts, accepting them gratefully with only a few polite protests.

"Never underestimate the value of a good pair of socks." sighed Lance happily, holding up a six-pack of brightly colored woolens, "Thank you, Colleen."

Once all the paper had been ripped and Luca had touched all of his presents at least once, everyone settled down contentedly. Lance and Keith lounged on the couch, while Sam and Colleen somehow shared an armchair companionably. Matt and Shiro took the loveseat, sitting much closer than required for the limited space, while Pidge claimed the floor with Luca, building him what looked to be a robot completely from scratch. Her tinkering held his attention for only a few minutes before he made it a mission to systematically climb into every adult's lap, much to the delight of everyone he visited.

Luca ended up in Matt's lap and they began whispering back and forth to each other for a long while as Shiro listened in, looking amused by what he heard. Luca crawled off Matt's knees, pulling him away from his seat as he went and clinging to his legs once he was standing. Matt ruffled his hair and took Luca's tiny hands in his, turning him about to face Pidge.

"Come on," Matt urged, "Ask her!"

Pidge looked up to watch Luca squirm nervously between Matt's legs, a shy smile covering his face.

"A-Auntie P-Pi-Pidge..." he stuttered, working hard to get her name right, "Y-you know how... how you gave... g-gave me to daddy and daddy?"

Pidge smiled and nodded, listening intently. Luca's smile got even bigger.

"Ca... can you give me... a little sister? P-pwease?" after asking his question Luca buried his face into Matt's leg, one blue eye visible as it watched Pidge for a reaction. The room fell completely silent. Keith slipped off the couch and gathered Luca in his arms.

"Baby, that's not something we can ask-" he said gently, but Pidge's voice cut him off.

"Ok."

Keith blinked, shocked. Lance gaped at her, sure he had misheard. Pidge grinned.

"Although I can't promise it'll be a little sister. Is that ok?" she asked, taking in Keith's face, which was absolutely destroyed with happiness.

"Pidge," breathed Lance, standing up as if in a dream, "Are you serious?"

She rose to meet him, nodding her head with determination. Lance pulled her into his arms, tears streaming down his face.

"Thank you!" he gasped into her hair. Keith joined in, tears running down his face as well. Colleen and Sam beamed at them while Matt and Shiro smiled knowingly.

"This is the best Christmas ever!" sobbed Lance, a breathless laugh escaping him. Keith wiped at his eyes, unable to even speak. He buried his face in Luca hair, kissing him sweetly.

When the trio stepped apart Colleen, Sam, Shiro, and Matt where there to congratulate them, and there was more joyful tears and hugging as everyone celebrated. Lance started talking excitedly about getting in touch with their physician before remembering that it was the Christmas holidays and that no one would be there. He was put out for roughly half a second before launching into the topic of baby names and what color they should paint the nursery of their new not-even-theirs-yet house. Keith slumped back onto the couch, pulling Lance with him, listening to the sound of his husband's voice as he rambled on.

 

Matt wandered into the kitchen to grab another drink and found Keith there, quietly washing dishes.

"Hey." he said. Keith didn't flinch, but his shoulders seemed to tense up in surprise. He turned to Matt, pulling a smile onto his weary face.

"Hey."

"You doing ok?" asked Matt, opening the fridge and taking out a can of something sweet and non-alcoholic. Was this family abstinent now or something? Keith sighed, reaching for another dish.

"Yeah, I'm just feeling a bit..." Keith trailed off, trying to think of the right word to use.

"Overwhelmed?" suggested Matt, cracking open his drink, "My family tends to do that. I don't blame you for hiding. Also, congratulations."

Keith smiled faintly and shook his head.

"Thanks. No, it's not them, it's just... everything, I guess. I've never really spent this kind of time with so many people. I keep waiting for it to disappear, like it always has in the past." He bit his lip, knowing he'd said too much. Matt set his can down and leaned against the counter beside Keith, studying him.

"We're not going anywhere, Keith. You're one of us now." said Matt earnestly, "No matter what we'll always be here for you. Lance will always be there for you."

Keith took a calming breath and nodded.

"Thanks, Matt. I think I needed to hear that." he said, giving Matt a more resolute smile, "So... You and Shiro..."

Matt grinned, a blush creeping across his face, looking a little embarrassed but mostly incredibly proud.

"Oh, Keith!" exclaimed Colleen, interrupting as she came in with a handful of dirty cups, "You don't have to worry about the dishes. Go and sit with Lance."

Keith was pleasantly yet forcefully expelled from the kitchen while Matt was dragged back in for dish duty as he tried to sneak away unnoticed.

 

As the evening wore on the chattering became more quiet and subdued. Keith's head slipped onto Lance's shoulder as he started to doze off, the excitement of the day catching up to him. Luca was already fast asleep, curled up in his arms. Lance pulled them closer, placing a tender kiss on Keith's forehead.

"I think it's about time we called it a night." chuckled Sam, his own partner blinking tiredly. Keith startled awake, flushing with embarrassment at being seen in such a state, although no one cared. Matt and Shiro had long since stopped talking, instead they were just sitting, hands stealthily entwined.

Keith lifted Luca into his arms as he stood up, and the movement roused the toddler. He chirped drowsily, rubbing his sleepy eyes in a way that was too precious for words. Keith expected him to blink out again but he stayed awake, watching as everyone started heading for their rooms.

"Pidge, do you wanna take Luca?" asked Lance, fluffing his son's curls. Pidge had gotten much more used to Luca throughout the evening but the prospect of bed-sharing seemed to perplex her. Colleen noticed her hesitation and swooped in.

"If you don't want to sleep with him we'll certainly take him." she said, gathering Luca into her arms before anyone could protest. Sam smiled at her as she cooed over Luca, who seemed happy to be fussed over. Lance couldn't help but feel a little chime of victory as they headed to the guest room. Tonight Keith was all his.

 

Lance stared at the form of his lover lying in the bed beside him. Keith's long hair cascaded over the pillow like an inky waterfall, begging to be caressed.

"Keith," breathed Lance, "Are you asleep?"

"Yes." stated Keith, not sounding tired at all. Lance chuckled and brushed a hand through the dark locks. Keith sighed and flopped onto his back, staring at the ceiling and letting Lance stroke his hair tenderly. Lance could feel Keith's restlessness as he tried to settle down in the unfamiliar room, his eyes flickering about in the darkness.

"Did you have a good time today?" asked Lance, his voice low and steady. Sometimes talking like that helped Keith unwind. He watched Keith swallow, throat bobbing, as he contemplated his answer.

"It was really wonderful. Just seeing everyone again, and seeing Pidge, and Shiro showing up and... And Pidge giving us another baby... "Keith's voice petered out and he shook his head, blinking back tears. He took a shaky breath and held it. After a long moment he spoke again.

"Yeah, it was a pretty great night." he finally managed to choke out, words caught between a sob and a laugh.

Lance continued to stroke his hair, listening and humming softly, the sound lulling Keith away from his own churning mind. They laid like that for a while, getting lost in each other's presence.

"Oh yeah, Matt and Shiro are dating." said Keith, suddenly remembering. Lance chuckled again.

"It was pretty obvious." he said, "I mean, they were practically having hand sex all evening."

Keith turned to stare at Lance, a unbelieving look on his face.

"Hand sex?"

"Yeah, you know, hand sex." Lance slid his hand over to Keith's, twisting and fondling his fingers in such an erotic way Keith hadn't thought possible. He felt himself heat up with arousal and Lance grinned at him. Warning bells went off in the back of Keith's mind.

"You know," purred Lance, slinking closer to Keith, "I can't help but feel like we've been given an opportunity."

Keith tried to move away but Lance caught him, pushing himself on top of Keith, gently pinning him underneath.

"Lance." hissed Keith, "We are not having sex in the Holts guest room!"

Lance laughed silently, pressing himself into Keith, hips slowly working back and forth, like waves washing away Keith's resolve. Keith knew he could get away if he really wanted to, Lance's hold on him was paper thin, they both knew he wouldn't. Keith made a frustrated noise, weakly pushing Lance away.

"Just a little?" purred Lance again, one of his hands tracing down Keith's body, heading into the restricted zone. Keith bit his lip to keep from moaning at the touch.

"Lance, stop." he gasped, knowing that would only encourage Lance more.

"Just a tiny bit?" Lance's lips tickled Keith neck as he mumbled into the pale skin. Keith let out strangled groan, writhing against his lover.

"Quietly." he relented with the last of his strength, the diminishing intelligent part of his brain telling him this was a terrible idea. Lance pushed himself up, lustfully taking in Keith's flushed face and arching body.

"Quietly." agrees Lance, eagerly bearing down on Keith, not sounding convinced at all.

 

Keith was jolted awake by the sound of the bedroom door slamming open and tiny feet pattering into the room. He heaved himself up, only to remember he was completely naked as the blankets fell away from his chest, reveling Lance's work from the night before. He scrambled to cover himself and turned to face the intruders. Luca, sporting nothing but a diaper, bounced up and down, clinging to the edge of the bed and letting out his signature shrieking laugh. Pidge stood in the doorway, a look of mock disgust on her face. Lance moaned sleepily from the other side of the bed, not bothering to move.

"Animals." she spat, her tone lacking any real bite. She grabbed the door and closed it with terrifying softness.

Keith blinked, still clutching the blankets to his chest, then flopped back onto the bed, panicking briefly and then resigning himself to the fact that Pidge had seen him in all his post-coitus glory.

Luca grabbed Keith's arm, whining for attention. Sighing, Keith turned to look at Luca, who gave him a round-eyed begging look. He sat up and lifted his arm, child and all, and swung the clinging toddler onto the bed. Luca rolled into the valley between Lance and Keith's bodies, giggling ecstatically. Keith laid down again, searching under the blankets for his discarded nightwear, and coming up empty handed. Luca clambered onto his chest, grabby hands heading for Keith's face. He let his son pry open his mouth and tap his little fingers on Keith's teeth as though he were playing a piano.

Something slipped up Keith's thigh and he gave Lance a sharp kick, inciting a yelp from his handsy husband.

"Luca's here." snapped Keith, pulling the toddler's hands out of his mouth. Luca glared at him, pouting. Lance flopped over to Keith like a beached whale, draping an arm over his husband and son and groaning in protest at the fact that it was morning. Luca's pout vanished the instant his father surfaced, and he snuggled under Lance's arm, drawing spirals on his skin.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that breakfast is ready." said Pidge as she opened the door again suddenly. Keith squeaked and tried to cover himself again, but she was already gone. Lance shook as he laughed into the pillows.

"How is this funny?" moaned Keith, wanting the bed to swallow him up, "They know. They know we did it last night. Oh god, Lance, stop laughing!"

"It's fine, Keith. We were very, _very_ quiet." sniggered Lance, lifting his head and planting a raspberry on Luca's back, drawing an inhuman screech from of glee from him. Keith clamped a hand over his ear,  but the damage was already done.

"Well, this is fun and all, but what do you say we go forage up some breakfast." sighed Lance, dragging himself out of bed, still deliciously naked. Keith averted his gaze, trying not to think about the night before.

 

If Lance and Keith had a good night then Matt and Shiro had a wild one. Their eyes were rimmed red with exhaustion and their hair could pass for a modern art installation. Lance raised an eyebrow at them.

"How did we not hear you guys?" he whispered to Matt, who gave him a deadpan stare.

"Car sex: it's a bitch on the back, but totally worth it." he croaked, a satisfied smile breaking over his face.

"Duh." responded Lance, "So wait, you guys did it in Shiro's-"

"We can hear you." grumbled Keith as he stood beside Shiro, the two of them glaring at their partners with disappointment. Lance and Matt grinned at each other and shrugged off the dirty looks.

Sam and Colleen pretended not to notice anything amiss as everyone sat down for breakfast, and the two pairs were unusually subdued as they ate. After the dishes were cleaned Lance and Keith mournfully packed their car, lingering as much as possible before finally having to say goodbye and starting the long drive home.

Lance and Keith drove in silence, both thinking about the recent events they'd experienced over the last twenty-four hours. Luca mercifully fell asleep as soon as they hit the highway, a collection of new toys scattered about the backseat like offerings to a tiny god. Lance twisted around in his seat, watching the curly head bobble back and forth.

"Keith, his head is flopping about again."

"Lance." Keith's tone was warning.

Lance smiled at his husband, watching his creased brow as he focused on the road, fully committed to keeping them all safe.

"Keith."

"What?"

"Go slower."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter was super short so this one is extra long to make up for that!
> 
> I almost feel like these chapters should be organized chronologically but I'm going to be jumping back and forth through this timeline with every story. Let me know which format you'd prefer.
> 
> Pidge has no idea how to handle children...
> 
> P.S. I had to include my favorite lowkey ship: Shatt! 
> 
> Also, sorry for the hot and heavy topics at the end. Smut is fun to write, though...


	5. All's Well That Ends Well

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey might be rough but the destination is worth it.

Lance and Keith were sitting at the dining room table, staring bleakly at the glowing screen of the laptop before them. Luca was snuggled up in Keith's arms, sleeping soundly, oblivious to the tense mood surrounding his parents. Keith leaned forward and reached for the laptop, turning it his way so he could read the email they'd just received for what seemed like the hundredth time. Lance planted his elbows on the table with a resigned thump and ran his hands through his hair, expression flickering between frustration and defeat.

"Fuck." he hissed, clenching his fingers into his locks so tightly his knuckles turned white. Keith grabbed his hand gently, coaxing Lance to release his hold before he hurt himself. Lance loosed his grip but continued to comb his hands through his hair restlessly, sighing heavily.

"Lance, calm down. We'll figure something out." said Keith, trying to sound soothing. It was freaky watching his partner lose it like this. Lance was the rock in the relationship; he was always the calm one, always knowing what to do, always keeping them grounded when life threatened to blow everything apart. Now he was crumbling and Keith had no idea how to put him back together. He reached his hand out to Lance again, massaging his shoulder awkwardly. Lance tensed up at his touch, his hair wrenching hands freezing.

"Calm down?" asked Lance, his voice quiet but seething. He turned to face Keith, slipping his shoulder away from Keith's hand and its feeble attempt to comfort him, "Keith, we just _lost_ the bid on our house. That was our chance to get out of this mess we call a life!"

"Lance, please. I know you're hurting, but we'll figure this out." begged Keith, trying to diffuse the growing tension between them. Lance knew he should accept Keith's pleas, but at that moment those words just seemed to make him angrier.

"No, you don't know what I'm going through, that's the problem." snarled Lance, "I hardly even make it home anymore, and when I do it seems like all I do is sleep because I'm so fucking tired from work! Keith, I'm so tired! I'm tired of missing out on everything, of missing out on seeing Luca grow up. I'm giving that up so you can stay here with him like you wanted! You're welcome, by the way. So yeah, I'm pretty fucking pissed that the one thing _I_ wanted just went up in fucking smoke!"

Lance was standing now, his body shaking with fury as he glared down at Keith, his blue eyes burning with same bitterness his voice held. Keith stared up at him and Lance could see the battle of emotions going on in his mind. Lance waited, almost eager for Keith to fight back.

"You want Luca? Fine. You stay home, I'll go work." snapped Keith, losing what little tolerance he'd had for putting up with this kind of attitude. Lance let out a scoff, ignoring the tiny voice in his head warning him he was going too far.

"You, work? Doing what, Mr. Dropout?" sneered Lance, but his body froze in shock the moment the words left his lips. He'd done it now. Guilt rolled over Lance as Keith gaped up at him, his eyes steely as he tried to hide his pain behind an impassive mask. Lance felt his guilt fade. Typical Keith, locking everything out so he wouldn't get hurt. If that was the case then fuck Keith. Oh wait, he'd already done that when he'd asked the poor bastard to marry him. Now Keith was stuck living in a shitty apartment rented with money from Lance's shitty job, towing around a kid that Keith hadn't even wanted to have. Lance tried to swallow back his self loathing and stared at Keith, waiting for the next move.

Keith stood up, nestling Luca, who was somehow still sleeping through their raised voices, against his shoulder. Lance braced himself for Keith's retaliation, knowing full well that even with a baby on his hip Keith could verbally and physically beat the snot out of him. But that didn't happen

Keith turned away, not even bothering to give Lance a second look, and headed for the door, toddler still cradled in his arms.

"Where are you going?" asked Lance harshly, confused but also not nearly ready for their throw down to be over.

"I'm leaving." snapped Keith, grabbing his phone and the car keys from off the counter in the entryway. Lance's mind blanked. What? Keith was leaving? Lance tried to say something but his mouth wouldn't move. A dozen different thoughts roared in, trying to make sense of what was going on. They'd had one little fight and Keith was leaving. With Luca. Was he leaving for good? Lance felt panic and anger rolling around; how could he leave? How dare he leave! Lance tried his voice again without success.

"Call me when you're ready to talk like a normal human being again." continued Keith, ripping two coats from off their hooks and tossing them over his shoulder, not even bothering to slip one on even though it was still January outside. Lance watched in mute shock as he walked out the door without hesitation, closing it with furious softness behind him.

Lance slumped back into his chair, still staring at the empty doorway. It only took him a few moments after Keith had left to realize that Keith had taken his coat by mistake. It took him several minutes to remember that his cell phone was still in its pocket.

 

Keith wasn't a crier. These weepy bouts of emotion had only started after Luca was born and the stress of child rearing finally got to him, at least that's what he tried to tell himself. Sure, his life had been tough, tougher than a lot of people's, but he'd managed to hold it together through the really bad times. Ok, maybe he'd cried a little, tucking himself into closets, hiding in bushes, he'd even had a few meltdowns in school bathrooms. But wasn't like he started sobbing over every little thing.

He shouldn't have been crying over this, sitting in a dark car in a McDonald's parking lot, and yet hot tears of frustration seared down his cheeks. Lance had been an asshole, but Keith knew there was truth in his words. That thought brought more burning tears to his eyes, and he fumbled around in the glove box for some napkins. As he blotted the moisture from his face he gazed at Luca, tucked into one of Lance's hoodies, still sleeping like the dead on the passenger seat beside him.

A wave of horror passed over Keith as he realized something. He'd just driven down the highway with his eighteen month old son sleeping in the front seat beside him, completely unsecured.

Keith panicked. He shouldn't be allowed near children, he shouldn't be allowed near his son. What if something had happened on the highway? Keith held his head in his hands, trying to push back the worst case scenarios playing in his mind. He took a deep breath, and then another, but the crushing guilt was still lodged in his chest.

Luca squirmed under the hoodie, an adorable peep escaping him as he snuggled in to the soft fabric. Keith caressed his fluffy hair and Luca rewarded him with another chirp. Keith knew it meant nothing but it almost felt like he'd been forgiven. A shadow of a smile tugged at his lips.

"Never again, buddy." whispered Keith, leaning over and kissing Luca's squishy little cheek.

Keith sat in the car for over half an hour, waiting for his phone to ring. He spent the time going over the events of the evening again and again until his head felt like it was about to burst. Still no call from Lance. Keith was sad, then he was angry, then he was sad again. He almost turned the cooling car on and drove them home, but his pride and the thought of a belligerent Lance kept him from following through. He wanted Lance to call and tell him to come home. He wanted an apology, but mostly he just wanted the fight to be over.

When the car got too cold to bear and there was still no word from his prick of a husband Keith made a decision, he would swallow his pride and call Lance to see if things were settled enough to come home. Great plan. He grabbed his phone and swiped the screen. Nothing. Frowning, he pressed the power button and held it for several seconds. Still nothing. The phone was dead, completely out of battery. Keith groaned and flopped his head back, dragging a hand through his hair, astounded by the level of idiocy his situation had risen to. After a moment of commiserating with himself he sat up and started searching for a phone charger, riffling through the glove box and under the seats, but coming up empty handed. Sighing, he roused Luca and hauled him into the restaurant, not even knowing the point of it, only to discover another blunder.

He'd forgotten his wallet.

With his money in it.

And all of his ID.

And he'd just driven himself close to an hour away from home.

And his phone was dead.

 

Keith decided this was probably a new low point for his life. He was sitting in a fast food restaurant booth watching his infant son mutilate and devour Happy Meal chicken nuggets in his lap at 11:21pm. He'd already broken several traffic laws (even though no one knew about it), raided his husband's car's ashtray for change, and was rapidly becoming the worst dad ever for letting his child consume greasy pseudo-food this late at night. Where did he go wrong?

Keith took a swig of coke from the cup he'd gotten with Luca's meal. The sugar, carbon, and whatever else was in the pop gave him a kick to the head, waking him up but not really making his brain work any better. His options at this point seemed to be: find a kind stranger and beg to use their phone for two minutes, or bum a charger off one of the staff. He had energy for neither plan at the moment, despite the sugary drink in his hand.

Luca finished destroying his nuggets and turned to Keith, wearing a greasy grin that was way too exuberant for this time of night. Keith returned his smile with a much more exhausted one and picked him up, twirling him around and setting him back down on his lap facing Keith. Luca laughed his usual ear-shattering screech and patted Keith's face with his slimy hands. Keith knew should care about both of these things but just couldn't find the will to. Luca quickly tired of smearing Keith's face and moved on to his coat, stuffing his grubby hands into every crease and pocket in a meaningless search. Keith draped his arms around Luca and leaned back against the grungy booth wall, closing his stinging eyes for a moment of rest.

The coat jerked as Luca tried to tug something out from inside one of the pockets. Keith reached down and his fingers skimmed over a smooth surface nestled in the folds of fabric. He pulled it out, gently fending off Luca as he did so, and gaped at the object in his hand. It was Lance's cell phone. This was Lance's coat. Keith blinked, trying to comprehend the latest development to his already insane situation.

The phone screen lit up as it received a call from an unknown number, ringing silently, the volume still turned off from Lance's work. Keith let the call go to voicemail, and when it finished it joined the list displaying a total of thirty-six missed calls, all from the same unknown number, all from the last hour and a half. Keith watched the screen dim and then go dark, feeling numb.

The phone blinked to life a few seconds later as the unknown number tried again. Keith hit the talk button without hesitation and brought it to his ear.

"Keith? Keith, is that you?" the voice on the other end started speaking the moment the call went through.

"Keith, I'm so sorry! Please come home. I'm sorry, I overreacted. I'm sorry. You're right, we'll figure this out, just come back. God, Keith, I am so fucking sorry!" Lance's voice babbled away, crackling in the poor connection, every second breath an apology. Keith listened, biting his lip as his emotions overflowed.

"Lance." he choked out, fighting back tears, the voice on the other end paused, then continued when Keith didn't say anything else.

"Keith? Keith, are you alright? Is Luca with you?" asked Lance, and Keith felt himself melting into that steady, protective tone.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Luca's here." he sniffed, digging the remains of the paper straw wrapper out of Luca's mouth, "Lance, I... I forgot my wallet."

Lance was quiet for a moment, taking in Keith's words.

"Where are you right now?" he asked, a car horn blared in the background, half drowning him out.

"At a McDonalds?" offered Keith uncertainly, "Where are you?"

"I'm at the payphone by the convenience store. Listen, do you know the address? I'll come get you." Lance was shouting now as the sound of engines roared over him.

"I have no idea where I even am right now." replied Keith, feeling wretched. That convenience store was a good half hour walk away from their apartment, and Lance had done it in the dark.

"Find the address." instructed Lance, "I'll call you back in three minutes, ok?"

"Ok." responded Keith, and the phone went dead with static. Keith sighed and gathering up Luca, heading for the apathetic girl loitering behind the counter. She didn't know the store's address but Keith managed to persuade her to look it up for him, though not without a significant amount of huffing and eye-rolling on both their parts.

 

Keith was waiting in the idling car when the taxi finally pulled up, depositing an exhausted Lance into the night. He trudged over and pulled open the driver's door, flopping into the seat without a word. They sat there in silence for several minutes, the car rumbling softly around them.

"I got you some food." said Keith, holding up a brown paper bag containing the ultimate peace offering. Lance raised an eyebrow at him.

"Did you steal the emergency funds I hid in the glove box?" he asked, trying to sound irked but failing miserably as he stared longingly at the bag, "Wait, do I smell a breakfast burrito?"

Keith grinned as Lance grabbed the bag and opened it, revealing four spicy wraps, still lukewarm. Lance turned to Keith, eyes shimmering.

"Are you a god? How did you get these?" he exclaimed, unwrapping one and tucking in as Keith giggled at his reaction.

"Bribery may have been involved." admitted Keith. He wasn't Lance but he could come up with a good sob story in a pinch, and also a sizable tip had helped. Lance groaned in pleasure, mouth full of fast food egg.

Once Lance was refueled with burrito power he pulled the car out and headed for home. Keith watched the street lights dance across his face as he drove, lighting up his blue eyes with every flicker. Lance glanced at him briefly, feeling Keith's eyes on him, and a smile spread over his face as he reached out a hand out to Keith. Their fingers met and weaved together, resting comfortably in the space between their seats.

"I'm sorry." sighed Keith, rubbing his thumb in circles on Lance's skin. Lance stared at the road, not responding but instead tightening his grip on Keith's hand.

"I'm sorry too." he said after a long while, "I said some nasty things and... I'm sorry."

"They were true, though." Keith pointed out, more bitterly than he intended. Lance frowned and pulled his hand away, in response to the road conditions and not Keith's comment. Keith gripped the dash for a tense moment until the hazard passed.

"Yeah, but I still shouldn't have said it like that." sighed Lance, glancing in the rearview mirror, "How's Luca doing back there?"

Keith twisted around and squinted into the dark backseat.

"Out like a light. I gave him chicken nuggets earlier." confessed Keith sheepishly, and Lance shook his head, smiling despite his feigned disapproval. Then Keith was spilling all the mistakes he'd made that evening to Lance, starting from when he'd driven away with Luca and ending with the fact he'd let him eat a straw wrapper.

"And that's why I shouldn't even have a parent license." concluded Keith, trying to ignore the suppressed laughter coming from his husband, "This is serious, Lance!"

"Well, I think that all's well that ends well." said Lance, biting back a grin, "You'll be more careful next time, won't you?"

Keith huffed, still feeling stressed but agreeing with Lance. He couldn't turn back time but he could make darn sure it didn't happen again.

 

The sight of their saggy apartment building was more welcome than it should have been. Lance parked the car and crawled out, stumbling up the steps to unlock the door as Keith unbuckled Luca and carried him in. They slipped out of their shoes and coats and headed for the bedroom, bypassing the bathroom completely. Lance flopped onto the bed, still in his clothes, and groaned with fatigue. Keith tugged the blankets from underneath him and pulled them over his tired form, slipping in beside him and nestling Luca into his usual spot. Lance turned his head to Keith, opening his eyes just enough to see him. Keith reached a hand out, petting his head tenderly. Lance's mouth quirked with a weary smile and he pulled Keith closer, his eyes closing reluctantly.

"Love you." breathed Lance, voice slurred as sleep overtook him. Keith watched his face settle as he felt his own body growing heavy, begging for rest. He weaved his fingers into Lance's soft hair, thinking about how they were both overdue for haircuts, before following his husband into slumber.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, this was a hard chapter to finish, mostly because I was fighting with constant power outages. 
> 
> This chapter is set a little while after Gifts. I think there also might be a part two to this, but we'll see what happens.


	6. Guerrilla Warfare with Toddlers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is a lot more complicated when children are involved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part one?? We'll See...

Keith stared bleakly into the fridge, taking in the uncombinable contents that populated its shelves. There were the usual household condiments, a few tired veggies, some dubiously old leftovers, half an onion wrapped in plastic (why, Lance, why?), cream cheese (but no bagels), an inch of milk, and spaghetti sauce (again, no spaghetti, they'd used the last of it last night). Keith sighed, turning to peer at the goods on the counter; peanut butter, granola, cans of soup that no one liked, lasagna noodles, and one sad banana. There was no more bread, no cereal, they were low on tea, lower on Adam-approved baby food, and completely out of salt. How did that even happen? It was clear their fridge and pantry were long overdue for a restocking, but in the meantime Keith had to figure out something to feed Lance when he got home, and he was pretty sure graying meatloaf wouldn't cut it. There was no other choice; Keith would have to go shopping. 

Keith was a warrior. He'd been both a soldier and a spy; dodged bullets and death countless times on the battlefield, flown and fought through the most heated of dogfights. If there ever was a time to put his abilities to the test, it was now. Because grocery shopping was a battle, and his true enemies were the ones closest to him. They knew his weaknesses, just as he knew Theirs, but They were also unpredictable, capable of sabotaging the best laid of plans. He would have to be stealthy, get the jump on Them before They could form any sort of resistance. 

Keith slunk through the apartment, tiptoeing past the little form asleep on the couch, and scuttled into his bedroom. This skirmish required proper armour; an unstained shirt and clean jeans were essential. Lance had threatened to divorce him if he ever set foot outside in sweatpants, or anything else less than decent. His coat and shoes were by the door so he'd get those last. 

Next was to gather the necessary equipment for the mission; diapers, wet wipes, spare clothes, a collection of distracting toys, bottle, formula, and snacks, all carefully tucked into a trusty backpack. He was sure was forgetting some stuff but this would have to do. He knew every second spent dallying lessened his chances of success.

A little gurgle made Keith startle in surprise. His next task had awoken. He peered into the crib beside the bed and was met with a drooly smile. Adam, the human spit machine, gazed up with his usual half-closed eyes, little limbs wiggling adorably as he reached for Keith. The gods were on his side; Adam had woken up happy, which would make this day go significantly better. Keith hoisted Adam up, cooing as he cradled his baby tenderly, and set about getting him into a not-slobbery outfit. He'd barely gotten the soggy onesie off when movement caught his eye. Keith turned, dread creeping up his spine, and locked eyes with Luca, who was peeking around the doorway, a nefarious grin spreading over his face. Keith slowly picked Adam up, moving like one would when trying not to spook a wild animal. Keith and Luca stared each other down, waiting. After a long moment Luca blinked, and Keith lunged for him, hands closing around thin air as Luca bolted down the hall, shrieking with malevolent glee, Keith hot on his trail. 

It took Keith, the battle hardened warrior, over ten minutes of clambering over furniture and tearing through their entire apartment at least three times over before he finally managed to corner Luca and haul his exuberant, howling, kicking body into the bedroom. It took that time again to wrestle him into his clothes, and Keith was actually sweating by the time they were done. He lifted Luca into his arms, the only way to keep him from undressing himself, and grabbed the backpack, only to realize he was missing one of his children. He'd deposited Adam, the world's quietest baby, at some random place during his pursuit of Luca and be darned if he could remember where. Normally this kind of thing would be disconcerting, but Keith had misplaced Adam enough times before to not be worried. The apartment was small, they'd find him eventually. 

He finally located Adam snuggled up in a laundry basket, no worse for wear, although the clothes surrounding him would have to be rewashed. There was another struggle as Keith pinned Luca to the bed with one hand and got Adam into a fresh outfit with the other, an impressive feat that would have amazed the most dexterous of fathers. At long last the trio was ready for the next step; going outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting anything recently, I was suffering from a bad case of writers block. I still sort of am. Ugh! :( Because of that I have several half finished chapters and I don't know which one to tackle next. So... I going to let you guys choose!! No guarantees I'll get them done quick, but this might get me to actually focus instead of procrastinating by writing unrelated Black Paladin Lance stories or new Voltron AUs... 
> 
> Your choices are:  
> 1 - Lance and Keith's love? confession. (Idk, bloody noses and kissing)  
> 2 - Tired Lance snuggle time (featuring Luca and baby Adam)  
> 3 - Adam's origin story (choose this one, I dare you) 
> 
> Also, if anyone has a precious moment they want me to write about send me a suggestion. Again, no guarantees it'll get done since my writing ability is sporadic at best, but it might be what I need to rekindle my motivation. Your awesome comments really help out with that too! Thank you! <3 
> 
> Also, let me know if you want a part two of this chapter. Imagine: Luca loose in a grocery store. What could possibly go wrong?? 
> 
> P.S. I'm writing these instead of doing schoolwork. Help...


	7. Something Lovely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No good deed goes unrewarded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you enjoy this chapter and hope everyone had a wonderful day!

Please listen to **[this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHcpmJLV-kg)** for an idea of what Lance is hearing. :3

___________________________________________

Keith stared down at his hand, palm open and facing down, and groaned.

"Best two out of three!" he said, making a fist in preparation for another round of rock-paper-scissors. Lance chuckled, amused but unyielding, his own fingers still forming a V shape, beating Keith's paper sign.

"Nope," he smirked, reaching over and pinching at Keith's hand with his scissored fingers, affirming his victory. "I won, now stay out of the kitchen."

"Lance, c'mon, you just worked a twelve hour shift." huffed Keith, tugging his hand away from the tweaking digits in annoyance.

"And now I'm going to make my lovely husband a nice anniversary dinner while he has a quiet evening off for once." grinned Lance, crossing his arms and pointedly leaning on the doorframe, completely blocking the entrance to the kitchen. Keith gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to hoist his obnoxious husband over his shoulder and deposit him onto a soft piece of furniture far away from the kitchen, but knowing that doing so would probably end with casualties. 

"Look," sighed Keith, trying to take on a reasoning tone. "I know you wanted to-"

His words were cut short as a slender finger pressed against his lips, Lance giving his signature tsking at Keith's continued attempts to oust him from the kitchen. 

"Keith, baby. Just this once, relax." cooed Lance, rubbing his finger tantalizingly over Keith's pouting lips, the sensation almost pleasant enough to be distracting. Almost.

"You're the one who needs to relax." snapped Keith, snatching the flirtatious finger away from his mouth. "And don't act like you can stop me from going in there."

Lance's eyes flashed, eagerly accepting the challenge, then his focus was drawn to something behind Keith, a wicked grin twisting over his face in a way that made Keith's skin prickle in trepidation. 

"Get him, boys!" commanded Lance, stepping back with a triumphant look. Keith had barely a moment to register what was happening when two small bodies crashed into his legs, accompanied by a demonic screech. He stumbled at the impact and glanced down to see his two sons clinging to his legs like a couple of adorable gremlins. 

Luca quickly wrapped his legs around Keith's knee, hauling himself up by the belt loops on his father's jeans, swinging merrily. Adam had his chubby little fists balled into the fabric as high as he could reach, a wet, toothy smile plastered over his face as he beamed up at Keith, trying his best to copy his big brother. Keith glared up at Lance, stooping low as Luca got hold of his arm and began clambering further up his body. 

"I can't believe you turned our children against me!" he griped, trying to stagger forward. Luca and Adam tugged at his limbs, pulling him back towards the living room. Normally they were no match for Keith's strength, but they'd thrown him off balance and he began swaying precariously, trying not to step on tender little feet. He shot Lance one more glare before he was dragged away, like the victim of a horde of tiny zombies. Their collective shrieks and shouts authenticating the scene. 

Lance grinned to himself and turned back to the kitchen, preparing the ingredients for supper. Keith's desperate pleas echoed from the other room, followed by a soft thump as he was toppled onto the couch. A second harder thump a moment later signaled that he'd slipped onto the floor, his attackers cheering as they jumped him. 

"Go for the face!" shouted Luca. "WE GIVE NO QUARTER!" 

Lance happily listened to his sons' laughter as they tussled with Keith on the floor, his protests getting quieter and quieter until they disappeared. Then Lance heard it. It was almost inaudible over the shrill howls and cackles of their children, but it was there. A breathy, soft giggle, barely a whisper. Lance's hands stilled, almost not believing what he was hearing. Keith was laughing. Not his usual controlled chuckle but an airy, almost childish laugh, bubbling up involuntarily. Lance closed his eyes and savored the sound. It had been far too long since he last heard that laugh. With a tender smile he recalled the first time he'd discovered it; a precious gem he had coaxed out by accident, its existence delicate and ephemeral and far too rare. 

They had just begun living together in a small but cozy apartment rented for them by the Coalition. Originally they'd each been provided with their own quarters, but Lance abandoned his in favor of moving into Keith's flat during one of their longer breaks in service; several weeks of prescribed leave while peace talks were underway, a ceasefire keeping them far away from the front lines. 

Cohabitation had gone as everyone pretty much expected, with their relationship swinging from heated shouting matches about nothing to even more heated bouts of passionate intimacy, usually with little moderation between. 

This had been one of those rare elusive moments where they weren't trying to kill each other or screw each other's brains out. Just a quiet afternoon cuddling together on Keith's bed, Lance draped over his boyfriend's body while Keith paged through some pulpy action novel, ignoring the drowsing corpse flopped on top of him. They had just had a huge fight a few days prior, one that had ended when Lance brought home cupcakes and Keith had finally apologized for being an ass. Again. They'd already had make-up sex, a hot, ravenous affair that had left them both exhausted and covered in embarrassing hickeys, so now all that was left was to wait for the next emotional blow up and subsequent make-up. 

Lance traced circles into his lover's shoulder with his thumb, wondering if this would be the extent of their relationship, a monotonous push-pull of love and hate. When times were good everything was beyond great, but when they were bad it almost wasn't worth sticking around for. They were like planets, caught in each other's gravity and slowly tearing each other apart. Lance wished they could just skip all the fire and crushing pressure that went into forming new worlds and get to the part where they became one planet, happily spinning in their own little orbit, melded together and inseparable.

He snuggled in closer, burying his face in the mop of unruly dark hair that Keith still refused to cut. He had expected to be met with a sigh of irritation, but Keith just shifted against the pillows, opening up more of his neck for Lance to access, a smile ghosting his lips while he continued to read. Lance eagerly advanced, not one to question the generosity of an unusually affectionate Keith. He nuzzled at the spot just behind Keith's ear, still waiting for some grumble of annoyance from his lover, but none came. He could feel Keith trying to ignore his roaming hands and lips, his brow creased as he frowned at his book, most likely not even focusing on the words anymore. The cute pout on his face only egged Lance on more and he doubled his efforts, rubbing and nibbling at every exposed bit of skin on Keith's neck and jaw, his limbs tightening around Keith's body like a needy octopus. 

It only took a few moments before Keith let out an exasperated huff and tossed his book down, trying halfheartedly to roll away from the cuddle monster glomming onto him as he wrestled to hide his growing smile. Lance continued his assault, caressing his hands over Keith's form and nipping his earlobe playfully, feeling a shiver of joy when Keith's face began to crack up into a reluctant grin. He twisted in Lance's arms, trying to escape the barrage of kisses his boyfriend lovingly plastered over his neck and cheek, eyes fluttering closed and mouth parting in a silent gasp, his shoulders beginning to shake. 

Lance halted his attack, taking in the strange sight before him. Keith... was laughing. Lance gazed at his lover's flushed and blissful face; this wasn't a laugh of embarrassment or ticklishness, it was a laugh of pure happiness. An odd, soundless thing that welled up from deep within. Lance had never seen anyone laugh like this before, but he instantly knew that he loved it and never wanted it to stop.

Keith took a shuddering breath and cracked his bleary eyes open, gazing up at Lance. 

"Why'd you stop?" he asked, his words slurring adorably. Lance bit his lip, taking a moment to calm himself before he lost control jumped his delectable boyfriend, instead focusing on committing his lover's beautifully ruined face to memory. 

He nestled back in to Keith's body, gently kissing at the places he had so eagerly teased before. Keith slumped against him, letting out sigh of contentment as he leaned into Lance's touch. There had been nothing lustful about either of their actions at any point, and Lance couldn't help but think that it was nice to just lie together and feel each other's presence. Maybe this was what lasting relationships were about; it was almost like the jittery sensation they'd had when they first started dating, desperate and happy to just be near one another, but this one was softer, like they had grown more comfortable with each other over time, the flutter of excited heartbeats replaced with steady thrum of fondness.

They had stayed like that for a long while, occasionally whispering sweet nothings to each other until Keith's stomach had growled and they'd untangled themselves in order to search for food, still lingering close enough to bump hips and elbows affectionately as they puttered around the kitchenette. After they'd eaten Lance managed to coax another fit of uncontrollable giggles out of his boyfriend with another attack of kisses, both of them rolling around on the bed until their sides ached from laughing too hard, drifting off into a peaceful slumber still tangled in each other's arms. 

Lance was shaken out of his reminiscing by a peal of breathless laughter, and he slunk over to the doorway to peer in on his roughhousing family. Adam was gleefully clinging to Keith's face, his plump little body effectively pinning one of his father's hands beneath his chubby bum as he exuberantly patted and pressed against Keith's flushed cheeks. Meanwhile, Keith was trying to use his free hand to push Luca off his chest, but the boy simply rolled away and scrambled right back up again, fingers poking into all of Keith's delicate places, drawing out wave after wave of ecstatic gasps and giggles as Keith writhed under the assault. Lance watched them lovingly until one of the pots on the stove boiled over, calling his attention back to the supper he'd so determinedly insisted on making. He continued to listen in on the struggle going on in the next room, letting their collective voices wash over him, the sound both invigorating and relaxing him as he worked. 

 

After dinner Lance and Keith carried their exhausted children to bed, tenderly tucking them in with a kiss on each forehead. Keith was about to crawl under the blankets to join them when he felt a tug on his sleeve. Confused, he let Lance quietly lead him out of the room, closing the door behind them. 

"What's up?" whispered Keith, curious. Lance released his arm and stepped back, a coy smile spreading across his face. Keith stepped towards him, closing the space between them, and Lance's smile widened. 

"Did you like the dinner?" he asked, draping his arms around Keith's neck flirtatiously. Keith felt a shiver run through him at the touch. It had been far too long since they had last done anything like this.

"Yeah," replied Keith, his face moving closer to his husband's. "It was great." 

Lance let out a chuckle, his breath fanning over Keith's lips. 

"Then how about you show how grateful you are." purred Lance, blue eyes sparkling with desire. Keith felt himself grin in anticipation and he pulled Lance against his body, closing the tiny space between their lips until they were pressed together. Lance opened his mouth, welcoming Keith in, their kiss deepening as they explored the minty taste left by the toothpaste they both shared. 

Without breaking contact they stumbled back and collapsed on the couch, hands and lips roving over each other lustfully, gripping and pulling at each other's clothes as they lost themselves in the surge of pleasure. Keith dragged himself away from Lance's hot kisses with a gasp, still tasting his husband in his mouth. 

"What do you want, love?" he asked, gazing down at Lance's gorgeous, unraveled face. Lance leaned back into the couch, spreading himself out seductively. 

"Pamper me." he whispered, eyes glinting in anticipation, and Keith descended, needing no further direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still alive! Sorry for not posting anything recently. Life has been getting busy and I'm still suffering from writers block, but I managed to get this little chapter done almost in time Valentine's Day. 
> 
> This chapter is set sometime in spring, when Keith and Lance's wedding took place, but I figured it was sort of romantic so why not post it for V-Day.


	9. First Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance wakes up, Keith doesn't, a disgustingly sweet internal monologue ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESS!!! HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS RIDICULOUSLY FLUFFY KLANCE STORY! <33

Lance awoke slowly, blinking lazily in the dim morning light. It was one of those rare awakenings where his eyes didn't sting with exhaustion for once, his mind and body lightly tingling with fresh energy that only ever came from a night of deep, contented sleep. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this well rested, but he was pretty sure he knew the cause of it.

Lance gazed across the rumpled blankets at the mop of silky black hair poking out from the nest of sheets and pillows that lay beside him. Keith was curled up in the center of the fluffy chaos, limbs tucked into himself, making him look much smaller and more vulnerable than he ever appeared while conscious. His face was half hidden by fabric, but the parts that were visible were soft and relaxed with sleep. His mouth was lax, his lips faintly swollen from the countless kisses they'd shared the night before and colored with a flush of tantalizing pink. His dark lashes fanned out against his cheeks, and Lance couldn't help but stare at them. He'd never noticed how long Keith's lashes were before, but now that they lay against his pale skin like sleeping butterflies he could finally inspect them to his heart's content. They fluttered ever so slightly as Keith breathed, seeming to almost sparkle in the morning glow, and Lance found himself getting lost in their gentle flickering. It was a long while before he managed to pull his gaze away and focus on the other parts of his partner's softened face. The shape of his kissable mouth, the rough blush of sunburn across his nose and cheek bones, his brows, for once not drawn into a scowl but instead resting lightly in a state of relaxed openness, the dozens of nicks and scars etched into his skin, their presence doing nothing to dull the absolute beauty of his features. In fact, Lance found them just as lovely as the rest of his partner, and he suddenly had the urge to kiss each and every one of them, to turn their echoes of pain into pleasure.

Lance bit his lip, willing himself not to disturb the sleeping form before him, even though his body coursed with the desire to engrave the overwhelming feelings of love bubbling up inside onto his dearest's body. No, if he touched Keith now he would most likely wake him up, no matter how gentle he tried to be, and the last thing Lance wanted to do was pull Keith from his much needed rest. The fact that he was awake before Keith was a sign of just how exhausted the other boy was.

Lance let out a tiny sigh, trying to settle his heated thoughts and impulses. It did little to stifle the uncomfortable feeling of rawness that prickled on his skin, the phantom twinges begging for the soothing contact of another person, whispering the promise of relief if he only just reached out and took it. Lance let out another huff and squirmed under the blankets, taking care not to rock the bed with his writhing.

Unfortunately he wasn't careful enough.

Keith's brows creased in irritation and he nuzzled his face deeper into the pillows, seeming to chase the receding sensation of sleep. Lance held his breath, warring feelings of anticipation and guilt rolling around in his gut as he watched Keith teeter between consciousness and slumber. After a long still moment Keith cracked his eyes open, squinting in the rosy light, his slate eyes passing over Lance's but not focusing on anything yet. He blinked slowly several times before clenching them shut and inhaling deeply. His body began tensing up as he curled in on himself even more, every muscle held rigid, before unfurling as he arched his back and stretched out his limbs until his joints popped, the air in his lung rushing out in a deep, almost moaning sigh. The sound sent Lance's blood plummeting straight between his legs, and he desperately tried block out the rising feeling of physical attraction awkwardly growing there, hoping the layers of clothes and blankets covering him were enough to hide his... condition.

Keith, finished with his incredibly seductive stretching, flopped back into the blankets and peeled his eyes open again, this time seeming much more aware. He locked eyes with Lance, his silver eyes reflecting the dawn's light in the form of infinite pinpoints of light, thousands of tiny galaxies recreated in their depths, shimmering hypnotically. And although Lance mourned the loss of Keith's sleeping face and all its breathtaking secrets, he couldn't help the new trill of excitement and awe that blossomed in his chest at the sight of his drowsy partner.

He gave Keith a shy smile, feeling a spike of nervousness bubble up through his otherwise happy emotions. A needle of fear caught in his throat, the idea that Keith would realize where he was and freak out at the fact that he had fallen asleep in Lance's room, in Lance's bed, with Lance beside him. Lance tried to swallow back his rising dread and stared back at Keith, hoping for some sign that they were still ok. That Keith didn't think this was all a huge mistake.

Keith's cheeks flushed with pink as his mouth twisted into an embarrassed grin, his eyes crinkling with pure, unreserved contentment. Lance... Wow, Lance was not expecting that. His whole body thrummed with overflowing emotion. Desire, joy, love, so much love, filled his chest, seeming to crush the air right out of his lungs in the process. Lance took a strangled breath and reached out a shaking hand to his lover.

"Hey, Starlight," he whispered, barely able to get the sound out. Keith leaned his cheek into Lance's touch and gave him another beyond beautiful smile.

"Hey, Sunshine," he replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've ignored this fic for two months and probably will continue to ignore it until some awesome inspiration comes along. I'm sorry/not sorry. 
> 
> It's 2am and I have work tomorrow... today... Oh boy... :D


End file.
